Finally Done
by LivyWrites
Summary: A week after Demise's destruction may seem like a good thing, but for Link the celebrations and the building of the "New Skyloft" on the Surface is all a bit much. But that's the problem. It shouldn't be too much. He should be relaxing and enjoying his victory. After all, the darkness was defeated...right?


**Well I've been recently replaying Skyward Sword, and I had the sudden urge to write a little fluffy one-shot (it doesn't stay fluffy) because holy crap! I forgot how much I love these two? Like I love them so much? So yeah! Enjoy! **

It was a celebration that Link had never seen the likes of before. Everywhere he looked he saw the happy and laughing faces of all of the citizens of Skyloft, all celebrating the defeat of Demise, and their return to the Surface after many generations in the sky.

It had been a week since the demon king's defeat, and since then all of the Hylians had settled in Faron Woods and the Sealed Grounds. After working hard and long on building a small settlement, everyone had agreed to hold a large party to reward themselves, and for thanking the Goddess Hylia. And perhaps even for thanking Link, even though he really didn't want that much attention.

Link had been spending his week tirelessly working on the new settlement, mostly working by Groose who was the leader of the project, seeing how he had built a fully functioning catapult with rails during the arduous battles against the Imprisoned. Link had also stuck close to Zelda, both of them still trying to recover from the long journey and the many trials they had both experienced. He still found it hard to believe that any of that had actually happened, and whenever he gazed upon the Sealed Temple, the thought of Fi resting eternally in the Master Sword still stung.

Besides everything that had happened in the past, however, Link still found the willpower to smile and join in on the celebrations. He really was enjoying it, even if he was slightly overwhelmed. It had started in the late afternoon, with the sun setting and casting the woods in bright, vibrant colors. Everyone had decorated as well, with brightly colored lanterns hanging on strings that stretched across the trees, illuminating the flora in fantastical ways.

A large wooden counter sat in between two thick trees, displaying wondrous and mouth-watering treats cooked and prepared by the older women. Link often found himself staring over at the delectable desserts, but he couldn't have anymore, as he had already had his fair share, even though no one essentially cared how many he had. He still felt self conscious about it.

"Link!" Someone called his name, and he quickly turned around to find Zelda hurrying towards him. She was garbed in her casual pink dress that she always wore, having abandoned the flowing white ceremonial dress that she had worn as she undertook her duties as the Goddess Hylia reborn. Link himself wore his own casual clothes from before his mission began, having stored his green tunic away. It was strange really. He felt so barren without the armor on, but all of the knights of Skyloft had abandoned their tunics as well, so he shouldn't feel that way. But still… after so long fighting and struggling with that tunic, it felt wrong to have it off, just like how it felt so wrong being without the Master Sword. More specifically, Fi.

However Link quickly shoved these troubling thoughts aside as Zelda came nearer. "Hey Zelda!" He called back, just as she stopped in front of him, her face absolutely beaming.

"What are you doing out here all alone? The main festivities are about to start!" Zelda said excitedly, practically jumping.

Link went for a smile, hoping it looked genuine. He inwardly wondered if Zelda was having trouble adjusting to the party as much as he was. He kept to himself though, since she looked so happy. He didn't want to ruin her night. "The festivities?" Link questioned, keeping his tone light.

Zelda nodded, looking over her shoulder back at the crowd, which was condensing near the center of their "New Skyloft". The area had been cleared away, leaving plenty of space to move about. The sun had almost all sunk below the horizon, making it so that the lanterns were the only things lighting the forest. It was beautiful, really, with bundles of flowers draped over the trees around them and the tables of treats.

Just then the plucking of an instrument could be heard, then a few low thumps of a drum. Zelda cried out excitedly and took Link's hand, leading him into the crowd. Through the many people, he could see a small group gathered to the side, all holding instruments from Skyloft. There was a harp that looked similar to the Goddess's Harp, but Link knew that that wasn't the case. The precious instrument had been stored away to protect and preserve it. There were other instruments as well, with drums, a beautifully carved flute, an intricate violin, and many others. The musicians lifted their instruments, looking at each other with bright smiles before beginning an upbeat melody.

Chatter and cheers instantly erupted in the crowd of familiar faces as everyone recognized the melody. It was a short sample of the song to come, letting everyone know what dance to perform. Everyone quickly got into a wide circle that wrapped around the perimeter of the open area as the melody repeated itself. Everyone then took the hand of the people beside them, so that they were all facing inwards. Link found himself between Pipit and Zelda, who were both laughing and smiling. Link felt out of it. He desperately wanted to get out of the crowd, but he felt trapped. That would be disrespectful and rude. These people, his friends, were throwing this celebration partially for him. And besides, Zelda wanted him here, so he would stay.

The music paused for a moment as everyone settled, all knowing the dance by heart that was about to start. An excited tension grew throughout the Hylians, before the drum player lifted his hand and brought it down onto the drum. A deep thump rang out throughout the group, only causing the tension to grow more intense. The musician raised his hand again.

_Thump._

_Thump._

_Thump. _

Finally on the fifth beat, the harp joined in, playing a simple quiet melody. Everyone began to move, starting by slowly walking around in the wide circle, large smiles everywhere. The slow beat continued when the flutist raised his instrument and joined in, adding in some simple harmonies. Everyone kept their hands tightly held with one another, shifting from walking around in the wide circle to come together in the middle, the sheer amount of people making it difficult and rather funny, more so for the younger ones.

Everyone moved outwards again just as the violin joined in, picking up the pace. The melody repeated itself now with more harmonies, and with everyone letting go of the people beside them and quickly forming two lines facing each other. Link found himself in the middle with Zelda directly across from him, who gave him a large smile. Link returned the expression, wishing he could enjoy this. But all he could think about was his desire to get out. To have things be quiet for just a moment, to have things slow down.

Two partnerships passed by in front of him, one coming from the end of the lines while the other couple had come from the front. The two partnerships danced down between the two lines taking their new places at the ends just as the next two partnerships began their way through the makeshift alley. Link watched everyone dancing across the front of him, feeling himself zone out. He found his eyes drifting towards the Sealed Temple that rested in the shadows to the side of him. He stared at the ancient structure, memories of his journey flashing in his mind's eye. There was Fi sleeping eternally in the Master Sword, Impa fading away into nothing, the Gate of Time whirring mechanically, Ghirahim cutting through his and Zelda's reunion, taking her away and into the past… There was Zelda again, sleeping eternally, then telling him of her mission as the Goddess Hylia reborn, the Imprisoned rising for the first time, the terror he had felt. The hopelessness he had felt. The frustration. The loss. The-

"Link!" Pipit suddenly whispered beside him, nudging him in the ribs. Link snapped back to reality, looking around wildly to find Zelda with her hand out towards him, ready for their turn down the line. The other partnership on the opposite end had already begun. Link felt his face flush in embarrassment and he quickly took Zelda's hand, who gave him a momentary look of concern. He gave her a small smile and they proceeded to dance down the lines, Link twirling Zelda as they passed by the other couple.

"Link, are you alright?" Zelda whispered quickly and quietly, just as they separated to the opposite lines.

"Don't worry about it." He whispered back, causing Mallara who was next to him cast him a look of concern as well.

More instruments soon joined in as everyone began to separate, holding their partners only, with the tempo still slowly increasing. The dance grew more intense, and a stuffy heat emanated from everyone, covering them all like a blanket. People began to cheer with the music, stomping their feet with the slowly increasing rhythm. The instruments grew louder, the musicians bobbing their heads and tapping their feet as they played. Everyone had separated completely by now, dancing with their partners only or their friends around them. Link held Zelda in his arms, twirling her as they moved around the others as everyone else did the same. It worked like weaving, with everyone shifting about, not ever hitting one another.

Link stumbled slightly as the music reached its peak, almost tripping on the uneven ground. Zelda's grip tightened on him to keep him from falling, her concern growing. Link again shook her worry off, saying he was fine just as the music reached its climax. Everyone bustled about, coming together to form the large circle once again, the music playing at an exciting, energetic rhythm.

It was tradition for everyone to now choose one partnership to dance by themselves, pushing them into the middle. Link felt himself zoning out again as the musicians continued to pump out the intense melody, when he suddenly felt multiple hands push on his back, lightly but firmly forcing him into the middle of the circle. He gasped and stumbled clumsily, quickly getting his feet underneath him. He automatically went into a fighting stance, before he saw Zelda in the middle with him. He forced himself to relax, which wasn't easy when his face was as red as a radish, and not from the heat.

Zelda giggled lightly and held out her hand for him to take. "To I really need to be the one to lead you, sleepyhead?" She teased.

Smiling despite himself, Link took Zelda's hand and the music suddenly changed to a slow, smooth melody. Link looked around, seeing all of the citizens beaming at him and Zelda. They had planned this, Link realized with a start, becoming even more flustered but feeling rather honored. He turned his attention back to Zelda, placing his hand on her hip while she placed hers on his shoulder, their other hands taking hold of each other as they started a simple waltz.

The air instantly began to cool, the atmosphere changing to being calm and relaxed rather than wild and fun. Zelda glanced over her shoulder at everyone watching them, and her cheeks turned a rosy pink. "Did you plan this, Link?" She asked quietly, the music hiding their words from everyone else.

Link shook his head. "It caught me by surprise too." He said with a chuckle, finally starting to enjoy himself.

The dance continued on, and Link spun Zelda around, her pink dress flowing out just as elegantly as her white one had done. She moved about with a graceful air to her, making Link blush furiously. They began to move about around the middle of the circle, becoming more and more attuned with one another the longer they danced. Soon the people around them were forgotten. Now it was just him, Zelda, and the flowing music that encircled them, empowering them as the waltz became more complicated.

Link genuinely found himself smiling, something he hadn't done in a long while. His ear twitched as the music began to come to a close, and both he and Zelda slowed their dance back down to how it had begun. They came closer together, with Zelda's arms around Link's neck while he held her waist. His heart was thumping loudly in his chest, and he hoped he didn't look too much like an idiot. Zelda giggled softly, bringing her face closer to Link's, just like how they had on top of the Goddess statue so long ago.

Entranced by the music and his own affection, Link leaned in close to Zelda, almost closing his eyes when a flicker of movement in the shadows caught his attention. He jerked away, pushing Zelda behind him as he jumped in front of her, arm held out protectively as he stared into the shadows, looking for any sign of movement.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed out of surprise, gently pushing his arm down and moving so that she was standing in his line of sight, although Link wasn't looking at her. "What's wrong?" She asked, a hint of hurt in her voice.

Link's eyes scanned the area, his heart thumping wildly. The music had stopped completely, with everyone staring at him in stunned silence. Link faltered a bit when he didn't see anything else, realizing that everyone was watching him. "I-" He cut himself off, looking back at Zelda before turning his gaze back to the many eyes on him. "I…I-" He couldn't find any words to say, nervous sweat trickling down his neck.

"Are you alright, Link?" Someone asked from behind him. He spun around, not sure who was the one who asked. Everyone was giving him different looks: surprise, pity, worry, and even anger.

"Link-" Zelda began, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. He flinched and backed away, just as multiple people from the group began to step forward, uttering cautious phrases and questions while holding their hands out in front of them. Link suddenly felt like a trapped animal. He didn't want to be here. He hadn't wanted to come in the first place. He knew he shouldn't have come. He should've known he could never have peace. This wasn't over. His mission was never over. He would always be on the run-always chasing-always late-always-there! The shadow-it moved again! Everyone-they didn't know! They were in danger! Zelda was in danger, he was in danger! They're closing in-

Link couldn't take it anymore. He turned and sprinted away, stumbling over his feet in his panic. He ignored the many shouts behind him as he raced through the unfinished town, blinking away the darkness that came from leaving the light of the party. He saw the Sealed Temple up ahead, suddenly wanting to seek shelter. He pushed himself harder, his feet slapping onto the soft ground when he tripped over a root, face planting in the dirt.

Sitting up quickly, Link's head whipped around at the sounds of the forest, and it may have just been imagination, but he thought he saw the shadows slowly closing in on him, the darkness slowly approaching its victim. He saw faces in that dark-faces he wished he would never see again.

Scrambling back onto his feet with terror pumping his limbs, Link ran into the temple, ripping the large stone door open and slipping inside, slamming it shut behind him. Breathing heavily, Link rested against the door for a while, turning around slowly to see the interior of the temple. He hadn't been here since Fi… He looked over at the pedestal, his eyes widening as they focused on the distant blade of the Master Sword. Heart sinking, Link walked over to the corner of the temple and sank to the floor, holding his knees to his chest.

Not a moment later the stone doors opened up loudly, causing Link to jump with fright. When he saw Zelda enter, however, he simply buried his face in shame. He was a fool. Of course there was no one there. He was seeing things. He was losing his grip. He couldn't let Zelda see him like this, but where would he go?

"Link…?" Zelda called out hesitantly, rushing to Link once she spotted him. She came near him and sat down, keeping her hands to herself for the time being. "Link what happened out there?" She asked quietly, concern heavily lacing her voice.

Link didn't know how to respond. How was he supposed to tell Zelda that he was hallucinating? "I'm sorry…" He finally mumbled after a while.

He felt Zelda's arm wrap around him and pull him closer, and he relaxed, letting his legs straighten out. He mumbled out another apology, causing Zelda's grip to tighten. "No… No don't be sorry, Link. You don't need to apologize." Zelda replied softly, hugging Link tightly.

"I'm going crazy, Zelda. I thought I saw something, out there in the shadows, but-" he let out a sigh that sounded almost like a whimper, "there was nothing there."

"What did you see?"

Link kept his eyes trained on the stone ground. "Nothing." He replied shortly, "I just-I just have this fear that he isn't really gone. And maybe I'm going crazy, I mean, I certainly feel like I'm going crazy, but I don't think I'll ever be done, Zelda. I don't think I'll ever be done…" He trailed away, his voice getting caught in his throat.

Zelda held Link tighter, brushing her hand through his hair comfortingly. "You have every right to be afraid," she began, "but you are done, Link. You won. We won. We can live out our lives here on the Surface…together."

There was silence for a moment as Link thought over those words. They sounded so comforting, so warm. He wanted to believe it, he really did, but he didn't think he would ever be able to fully relax. "When Ghirahim took you away so long ago… I thought I had lost everything. When you went into that sleep, I thought-I thought I had lost you. I don't want that to ever happen again." He said weakly, feeling his eyes water.

Zelda pulled Link up so that they were facing each other, and Link saw with surprise that Zelda's eyes were also filled with tears. "I'm not going to leave you again." She said as a tear tipped over onto her cheek. She pulled Link into a tight embrace, who finally let the tears fall.

"I'm not going anywhere." Zelda stated confidently, tightening her grip as she did so. Link relaxed into the embrace, his breath hitching every now and then. "We're together. We're here. I'm here. You did everything, Link. I'm so, so sorry you had to go through all of that. It was all because of me, I'm responsible, but even with that knowledge, you came." She separated slightly, looking into Link's eyes even as tears tumbled from hers. "And you woke me up."

Link couldn't take it anymore. His lip trembled and he collapsed onto Zelda, crying into her shoulder as he gripped the back of her dress tightly. His sobs hiccuped and echoed throughout the temple, but he didn't care, and neither did Zelda. She held him close, rubbing his back comfortingly even as she shed tears of her own.

After a long while Link finally grew tired, suddenly feeling entirely drained. He still clung onto Zelda, even as they both situated themselves so that they were leaning against the wall. Arms still wrapped around each other, Link's head rested on Zelda's shoulder, tear stains prominent on his cheeks in the moonlight. He looked around the temple drearily, finally letting them slip close. He was done. He had won. He could finally rest.

And for the first time ever since that fateful day in Skyloft, Link found that he could finally accept that.

**Wow okay so that got angstier than I thought it would :') But hey! I had looots of fun writing this! *distant sobs can be heard***

**Jokes aside, I seriously forgot how much I love these two and Skyward Sword itself! Holy Hylia what a frickin underrated game! People always bash it for the motion controls, but I've never had any problems. (I actually really liked the motion controls and they were hilarious so…) So yeah! Thank you for reading! And please let me know what you thought :) I will most definitely be writing more SS fanfics after this, though they will probably be one-shots only since I'm busy with Hyrule's Light. Anywho, see y'all around!**


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